Panaji, Apr 7, 2019: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Goa convener says the local Church’s alleged displeasure against his party is the problem of a few priests.
“One or two clergymen don’t represent the Church. The founder of Christianity himself has taught us to forgive. I forgive those who spoke lies,” Elvis Gomes, a Catholic by faith, told the media on April 6 in Panaji, Goa capital.
Gomes is the AAP candidate for South Goa Lok Sabha constituency.
The Catholic Church plays a key sociopolitical role in the coastal state and Catholics account for nearly a quarter of the Goa’s 1.5 million population.
Gomes, facing sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Francisco Sardinha of the Congress, is being criticized in some political quarters as a Congress “vote-cutter” and whose presence would bolster the BJP’s chances.
Gomes also said the AAP would withdraw from two Lok Sabha and two Assembly by-elections if the allegations about the party being ‘B’ team were proven. “The AAP is ready to withdraw candidates from the four seats if someone could prove it even to some extent,” he added.
Goa goes to poll on April 23.
(Business Standard)